Gorman: Celtics Will Eventually Be Marcus Smart's Team
BOSTON (CBS) -- As the Brooklyn Nets learned on Monday, you really have to be ready for anything when Marcus Smart is on the floor.
The C's guard pounced on a loose ball after Nets guard Donald Sloan "walked the dog" up the court. While the play resulted in a jump ball (thanks to a very quick whistle by the refs), it's that kind of energy the Celtics need every trip up and down the floor.
Plays like that are nothing new for Smart, a defensive wiz in just his second year in the league. CSNNE's Celtics play-by-play man Mike Gorman joined Toucher & Rich on Wednesday, and said because of his tenacity and energy, Boston will be Smart's team in the near future.
"When he and [Jae] Crowder are on the floor together, and once they get Avery Bradley back, they really are a solid defensive team," said Gorman. "When you get a guy like Marcus it's contagious. A team can be playing kind of flat, you put him on the floor and all of a sudden he's diving for loose balls, then all of a sudden Crowder is diving for loose balls and next thing you know Kelly Olynyk is diving for loose balls.
"It is going to take some time, but ultimately this will be Marcus' team. Long-term, he's the leader," said Gorman.
Gorman also touched on LSU standout Ben Simmons, who helped lead the Tigers to an upset win over Kentucky on Tuesday night with 14 points (12 in the second half) and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes. The Celtics own the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick in this summer's draft, which at the moment has the best odds of being the third overall selection. The Celtics will probably need some lottery magic if they want to draft a player who Gorman thinks is the best all-around player in college basketball, and one of the best prospects in the last few years.
"He looks to be the most complete player I've seen in a while," said Gorman. "The game kind of revolves around him when he's in and he doesn't force it. I watched [Providence guard] Kris Dunn last night, and he's is good but he needs the ball. Simmons doesn't need the ball to control the game. He can rebound, take the ball and pass it right away. He's just really solid."
Gorman also touched on Jae Crowder's emergence on the offensive end and working with Brian Scalabrine on the game broadcasts:
Tune in to Wednesday night's Celtics-Pistons games on 98.5 The Sports Hub -- the flagship station of the Boston Celtics. Pregame coverage with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell begins at 7pm!
